Michael Clarke Duncan dead at 54

One of my favorite actors, and a talented one at that, passed away today while being hospitalized following a heart attack, the AP reports. He was 54.

Humble, intelligent and a great actor, I had the privilege of meeting him once. Humble, nice and a bodybuilding fan. I am sorry to see him go so young with so much life left in him.

(CNN) -- Michael Clarke Duncan, nominated for an Academy Award for his role in the 1999 film "The Green Mile," died Monday morning at age 54, according to a representative for his family.

Duncan "suffered a myocardial infarction on July 13 and never fully recovered," a written statement from Joy Fehily said.

Clarke died at a Los Angeles hospital where he had been since having the heart attack more than seven weeks ago.

According to TMZ, it was Duncan's girlfriend Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, a reality star and former contestant on "The Apprentice," who had acted quickly and provided lifesaving efforts when he had the heart attack.